Snap fastener attaching machine



Dec. 28, 1965 ST. J. M. HALL 3,225,993

SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1964 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 7. mii im u N /um Dec. 28, 1965 ST. J. M. HALL SNAP FASTENER ATTAGHING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 9, 1964 Dec. 28, 1965 ST. J. M. HALL SNAP FASTENER ATTAGHING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 9, 1964 Dec. 28, 1965 sT. J. M. HALL SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 9, 1964 III/III/l Dec. 28, 1965 Filed Oct. 9, 1964 SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE ST. J. M. HALL A A I A 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 28, 1965 s'r. J. M. HALL 3,225,993

SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE Filed 001;. 9, 1964 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 V l 1 F k J \EF Y "2"" I- 35 90 96 95 a 1 19.10. {9

e a o Dec. 28, 1965 sT. J. M. HALL SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed Oct. 9, 1964 iii 1965 s-r. J. M. HALL 3,225,993

SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1964 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Dec. 28, 1965 51-, HALL 3,225,993

SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE Filed 001:. 9, 1964 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 United States Patent 3,225,993 SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE St. John Merrill Hall, Peabody, Mass., 'assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Oct. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 402,858 8 Claims. (Cl. 22718) This invention relates to a snap fastener attaching machine for simultaneously setting a plurality of fasteners to a garment. The attaching or setting operation normally involves an attaching member which in the case of the socket element, may be a prong ring, and in the case of the stud element, may be a hollow rivet or post.

The invention utilizes a plurality of like snap fastener attaching units mounted on a common frame and operated by a single power means under the control of a single clutch. Any arrangement of known types of snap fastener attaching units in side by side relation would not solve the problem of providing for the attachment of snap fasteners in the desired space relation on a garment. An object of the invention is to provide a construction and arrangement of attaching units which will simultaneously attach a plurality of fasteners with as little as 1 /2" spacing.

It is desirable that each fastener attaching unit be substantially complete in itself. This means that each unit has its own movable attaching tools, operating means for the same, separate hoppers for the fastener elements and attaching members, feed chutes and cut-off or escapement devices. Each such self-contained unit is mounted in side by side relation with similar units of any desired number and in such a way that any particular unit may be removed and replaced by another.

This invention is believed to have solved for the first time the problem of a commercially useful machine involving such a plurality of self-contained units which can set any desired number of fasteners simultaneously with any desired spacing down to a minimum of 1 /2".

According to the invention, the upper and lower feed tracks for the fastener elements and attaching elements are superimposed directly over one another and secured in a novel manner to a pair of vertical plates. The overall width of these vertical support plates is necessarily maintained at or slightly below the desired 1 /2 minimum spacing. Therefore, the object of the invention is to solve not only the problem of supporting the tracks and their associated hoppers within this space, but also to provide operating mechanism for the tools, escapement devices with their operating means, all within the vertical confines of the outer faces of the vertical plates.

The term vertical plates is used herein and in the appended claims for the sake of convenience, and not in a limited sense. While in the embodiment shown, these vertical plates are held together by spacer blocks and flush head bolts, it is to exclude other construction, such as a single cast frame with vertical sidewalls.

The invention further contemplates in addition to the above-mentioned unique arrangement and support of hoppers, feed tracks, escapements and operating devices, a novel construction and mounting for receivers in the lower forward ends of the tracks which are automatically moved out of the way when the fastener elements and attaching members are picked up by the setting tools.

Other novel aspects of the construction and arrangement of the various elements in the combination, together with their advantages, will be more fully appreciated after an understanding of the single embodiment herein shown and described in detail. In the accompanying drawings:

3,225,993 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a complete fastener attaching unit as seen from a point to the right and forward of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a complete attaching unit as seen from the left rear looking diagonally forwardly;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the outline and general arrangement of the principal parts of the machine;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation with parts broken away to facilitate illustration;

FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view;

FIG. 6 is a right side elevation of the upper part of the machine on a larger scale;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the upper part of the machine;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation looking at the left side of the machine as viewed from the front;

FIG. 9 is a cross-section along line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a cross-section on line 1010 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a central vertical section through a portion of an attaching unit showing the tools in closed position;

FIG. 12 is a detail section showing the upper tool in open position;

FIG. 13 is a similar view showing the lower tool in open position;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are detailed views of one of the escapment devices in different positions;

FIG. 16 is a plan view of the upper feed track and associated parts;

FIG. 17 is a perspective of the top receiver for the fastener elements;

FIG. 18 is a perspective of the bottom receiver for the attaching member;

FIG. 19 is a detail elevation view from the right side of the machine to illustrate the support for the upper track and associated fastener element hopper;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the main supporting bracket for the hoppers and feed tracks; and

FIGS. 21 and 22 are detail views in side elevation and vertical cross-section of one of the supporting posts for a fastener attaching unit.

As seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the machine has a frame including upright support walls 1 and 2 extending from front to rear of the machine, and a rear support wall 3. The attaching unit, generally designated 4, is carried on a horizontal base plate 5 which is attached to the upright walls and has longitudinally extending slots 6 and 7. The attaching unit utilizes two upright narrowly spaced side plates 8 and 9 which are clamped to supporting :posts It) by means of flush-head bolts 11. The two supporting posts 10 have tapped extensions 12 which project into slots 6 and 7 and are anchored to the bottom side of the plate 5 by washers 13 and studs 14. Another flushhead bolt 15 connects the side plates 8 and 9 rigidly together through a spacer block 16.

A suitable power source, such as a-motor 17, drives a belt 18 which engages over a pulley 19 on the main drive shaft 20. This shaft is supported in suitable hearings in the upright walls 1 and 2 and for each one of the attaching units, there is adjustably mounted on this drive shaft an eccentric 21 which connects through a link 22 with an arm 23 of the tool-operating cam 24 pivoted on a bushing 24a and held by a flush-head bolt 24b. This connection is made by a suitable pin 25 which is accessible through the arcuate slots 26 of side plates 8 and 9.

The upper and lower tool-operating levers 27 and 28, respectively, are mounted on a common bushing 29 which is anchored tightly in the plates 8 and 9 by a flush-head bolt 30. At their read ends, the levers 27 and 28 carry roller followers 31 and 32 which are maintained in contact with the cam 24 by means of coil springs 33 for the top lever and 34 for the bottom lever. The top lever 27 is off-set outwardly so that the outer surface of the lever is substantially flush with the outer surface of the plate 8 (see FIG. 9) and of course, this plate must have a suitable cut-out for clearance purposes, as indicated at 35 in FIGS. 3 and 8.

This upper lever 27 turns inwardly toward the right at its extreme end and mounts a die or punch 36 adapted to fit over a fastener element which is here indicated as a stud S. The lower lever 28 extends forwardly in substantially a straight line and mounts a setting tool 37 which is adapted to co-operate with the attaching element, here indicated as a hollow post P.

The upper feed track for directing the fastener elements S is generally indicated by the numeral 38 and the lower feed track for guiding the attaching elements P by the numeral 39. These feed tracks are supported in a unique manner, one directly over the other, by means of a long bracket which is anchored to the side plates 8 and 9 by depending bosses 4t) and 41 through which extend the flush-head bolts 42 and 43. The boss 41 has an extension 44 which carries an idler pulley 45 for the hopper drive belt 46.

This elongated support bracket shown in detail in FIG. is generally U-shaped at its lower end portion to provide an upper shelf 47 for supporting the fastenerelement hopper 48, and a lower shelf 49 which extends upwardly and rearwardly a considerable distance to support the attaching-element hopper 50. The upper and lower shelves 47 and 49 are joined by a vertical wall 47a which is located to one side of the tracks and is substantially flush with, or at least does not extend beyond the outer face of the left vertical side plate 8.

As best seen in FIGS. 19 and 20, there is mounted on the upper shelf 47 of the main support bracket, a cantilever supporting plate or bar 51 which is firmly anchored at its upper end by means of a screw 52 which extends though the shelf 47, bar 51 and into the base 53 of the fastener-element hopper 48, and screws 54 extending only through the upper shelf 47 and bar 51.

It will be noted that the cantilever bar 51 extends a substantial distance forwardly and below the shelf 47 of the main support bracket and screws 55 extend through the bar and into the hopper base 53 for further securing the fastener-element hopper in place on the bar 51. The forward and lower end portion 56 of the bar 51 is stepped down to accommodate the upper feed track 38 which is secured in place on the bar 51 by suitable screws 57.

The upper hopper 50 for the attaching elements is mounted on the upper extension of the lower shelf 49 and interposed between this shelf and the hopper, there may be a support block 58 which hasan extension 59 to which the upper end of the bottom fed track 39 is attached by suitable screws. This lower feed track extends between the upper and lower shelves 47 and ,49 and is attached at its lower end to a bottom bracket 60 which is firmly held in place by a flush-head bolt 61 extending through right side plate 8 and into a dependent lug 62 of the bracket 60, and by dowel pins 63. In order to reinforce the upper shelf 47 of the main support bracket, a plate 64 is anchored in a notch 65 in the lower shelf 49 and firmly attached to the edge of the upper shelf 47.

Escapements and Operating means support bracket. Thus, this slide is normally urged in a forwardly and downwardly direction. F

To the lower end of this operating slide 68 attached[ a bracket 71 by means of suitable screws and a pair of these screws 72 is also extended through the lows" rack; operating bar 73 to secure it in place. The upper eh'd 74 of the bracket 71 has a groove 75 on its inner fate in which is firmly secured the upper rack-operating bar 76.

The upper and lower escapement mechanisms are generally designated 77 and 78, respectively and since their construction and operation is substantially identical, only the upper one will be described with reference particularly to FIGS. 11, 14, 15 and 16.

The yielding lost motion connection is intended to yield on the up stroke of either rack-operating bar. The rack 79 itself has an upper tubular end 80 surrounded by a coil spring 81 which is anchored at its lower end to the rack 79 and at its upper end in a groove 82 of the rackoperating bar 76. The rack 79 has teeth 83 meshing with a gear 84 attached to a stub shaft 85 journalled in the stationary block 86 which is attached by screws 87 to the track 38 and cantilever bar. The stub shaft 85 carries the disc-like escapernent 88 having a groove 89 adapted to accommodate the upwardly projecting bulbous portion in the case of the fastener elements S or the stern of the post in the case of the attaching elements.

In the normal downward and forward position of the rack, an element may enter the groove 89, as seen in FIG. 15, and during the upward motion of the rack, the disc is rotated clockwise to the FIG. 14 position, allowing an element to escape at the bottom of the groove 89. At the same time, the remaining elements are held from further movement in the track by the periphery of the disc 88 until the upward movement of the rack, when the disc 88 will rotate counter-clockwise to bring it into position to receive another element.

As seen in FIGS. 3 and 8, the operating bars for both racks are moved upwardly simultaneously by the upward or opening movement of the tool-operating lever 27. This is accomplished by a pin 90 which acts against the level surface 91 of the bracket 71, which of course, is fixed to rack-operating bars and the slide 68.

Track and receivers The track construction in each case involves a base plate 92, side guides 93 and 94, and upper retaining plates 95 and 96. FIG. 9 shows the tracks in angular section. The tracks are arranged on about a 45 angle, so that as they are supplied by their respective hoppers, the fastener elements and the attaching members will slide by gravity first to the escapement device and then through the lower portion of the track to the receivers from which they are picked up by the upper and lower tools.

The top receiver for the fastener elements, as best shown in FIGS. 11, 12 and 17, has a receiver frame 97 anchored to the lower end of the top feed track 38 by screws 98-the feed track being in turn, supported by the cantilever bar 51 as has already been explained. The

frame includes the forwardly and upwardly extending; arms 99 and 100 joined at their free ends by a pin 101.. The bearing pin 102 extending also between arms 99 and. 100 mounts the swinging receiver 103 which is normally urged upwardly and rearwardly by spring 104, one end of? which is engaged over the pin 101. In the at rest position of FIG. 12, the receiver bears against a lip 105 at the.- end of the feed track 38.

In FIG. 12, the receiver is in position to receive a. fastener element S in its forwardly opening pocket 106. When the upper tool 36 swings downwardly, the bulbousv head of the fastener element S will be engaged in a recess. 107 of the tool where it is held by the free inturned ends of a spring 108 which is of generally U-sh-ape and retained. in suitable grooves on opposite sides of the tool 36.

As the tools swing from open position, like in FIG. 12, to closed position, like in FIG. 11, a kick-out finger 110 attached to the upper lever 27 will have its lower end strike a cam plate 103a on the receiver 103 so as to move the latter out of the way, but only after the tool has become firmly engaged with the fastener element, whereby the receiver will move out of the way and allow the tool 36 to carry the fastener elements down between the stationary arms 99 and 100. This swinging receiver also carries a U-shape spring-like stripper device 111 attached by screw 112 and having inturned ends 113 which will engage the fastener element S as seen in FIG. 11, so that when the upper tool begins to retract, it will pull the fastener element out of the pocket 107 against the resistance of spring 108.

The bottom receiver for the attaching members is shown best in FIGS. 11, 13 and 18. It is carried by a stationary frame which is actually an extension of the lower support bracket 60 previously described. It has the two spaced arms 114 and 115, joined by a pin 116 at their free ends and also carrying a pivot pin 117 for the bottom receiver 118. This receiver is normally held against the feed track 39 in the position of FIG. 13 by a spring 119 engaging around the pivot pin 117 and having its end hooked around pin 116. i

The receiver 118 carries upper and lower plates 120 and 121, respectively, which are recessed to provide an outwardly opening notch 122'for receiving the fastener elements P with the thin base of the elements engaged in the space 122a between the plates 120 and 121. In the at rest position of FIG. 13, these plates, and thus the notch 122, come up against the end of the lower feed track 39 which is slightly curved at its lower end to line up with the bottom receiver.

The lower setting tool 37 is in the form of a hollow punch and carries a pin 124 normally held upwardly by spring 125. When the tool 37 swings upwardly, the pin 124 enters the hollow post P in the lower receiver to pick it up and move it to the attaching position of FIG. 11. In this movement, the cam surface 126 strikes against a cross-pin 123 of the receiver 118 and swings it out of the way of the punch. At the same time, when the pin 124 engages the cloth C to which the fastener is to be attached, it will retract out of the way under the resistance of the spring 125.

For supporting the work which might be any kind of garment and here indicated by the cloth C, there is provided an elongated flat top table 127 with a longitudinal extending slot 128 in line with the setting tools. This table may be supported in any suitable manner from the horizontal base plate 5 as by brackets 129 and 130.

The hoppers for the fastener elements and attaching elements have not been shown and described in detail since they do not form any part of this present invention. They are driven oil the main shaft 20 by a small pulley 131, belt 132, large pulley 133 which in turn drives a horizontal shaft 134 extending throughout the length of the machine and journalled in suitable hearings in the upright sidewalls 1 and 2. For each of the attaching units, the shaft 134 carries a pulley 135 which drives the belt 46 previously mentioned, that runs over the drive pulleys 136 and 137 and around idler guide pulleys 138 and for the upper and lower hoppers, respectively.

As a result of my invention, it will now be evident that any desired number of attaching units can be mounted in close side by side relation and operated by the tripping of a single clutch to set the desired number of fasteners in any type of garment where the spacing may be as close as 1%. When the dimensional capacity of 1 /2" spacing is referred to, it will be appreciated that the machines are capable of setting fasteners with such spacing When the fasteners themselves are of the common sizes usually employed in garments, up to approximately in diameter.

What is claimed is:

1. A snap fastener attaching machine comprising a 6 frame, a plurality of complete snap fastener attaching units mounted side by side on said frame and adjustable toward and away from each other, each unit comprising (a) a pair of spaced vertical support plates;

(b) upperand lower feed tracks, one for the snap fastener elements, the other for the attaching members;

(c) a pair of hoppers for feeding fastener elements and attaching members to said tracks;

(d) supporting means for said tracks and hoppers, said supporting means being secured to said plates;

(e) an escapement device attached to each track;

(f) escapement operating means guided in said supporting means;

(g) upper and lower setting tools;

(h) operating means for each of said tools, including a lever having a pivotal mounting between said plates;

(i) means for actuating said levers including a cam between said plates and a downwardly extending link; all of said means defined in clauses (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) and (i) being located substantially Within the vertical confines of the outer side faces of said plates; and common power driven means connected to all of said links for simultaneously operating all of said attaching units.

2. A snap fastener attaching machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said frame has horizontally extending support means with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots and wherein each of said attaching units has studs extending downwardly through said slots, and means for securing said studs at the desired adjusted positions on said frame,

3. In a snap fastener attaching unit, the combination of (a) a pair of spaced vertical support plates;

(b) upper and lower superimposed feed tracks positioned above said plates, the outer edges of said tracks at one side of the unit being in substantially the same plane as the outer face of the first side plate while the outer edges of the tracks at the other side of said unit are located a predetermined distance from the plane of the outer face of the second side plate;

(c) a support bracket for said tracks secured to said side plates having a lower shelf for the lower track and an upper shelf for the upper track and a vertical wall joining said, shelves, such vertical wall being located to one side of said tracks and being substantially flush with the outer face of said side plate;

(d) an escapement device mounted on and cooperating with each of said tracks and located between the vertical planes passing through the outer sides of said tracks; and

(e) operating means for said escapements including an element on the same side of the tracks as said vertical wall of said support bracket but which does not extend beyond the plane of the outer surface of said second side plate.

4. The combination defined in claim 3, the snap fastener setting tools at the lower end of said tracks and centrally aligned with said tracks; and operating means for said upper tool including a lever having a pivotal mounting between said plates below said tracks, said lever having an off-set portion located to one side of the tracks and which does not extend beyond the plane of the outer surface of said second side plate.

5. The combination defined in claim 3, and further support means for the bottom track comprising a bracket anchored to the first-mentioned side plate.

6. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein means are provided for operating the bottom tool which has a common pivotal mounting with said upper tool, and wherein such operating means further includes a single cam located between said plates for simultaneously operating both said upper and lower tools and a link extending downwardly between said plates.

7. A snap fastener attaching unit comprising (a) a pair of spaced vertical support plates;

(b) upper and lower feed tracks, one for the snap fastener elements and the other for the attaching members;

(c) a pair of hoppers, one for feeding the fastener elements and one for feeding the attaching members to their respective tracks; said hoppers being of the vertical type and arranged in vertical alignment with each other and with said tracks;

(d) supporting means for mounting said tracks and hoppers in slightly off-set relation with respect to the central plane between said vertical plates, said supporting means comprising a bracket firmly secured to and projecting above said plates, said bracket having a lower shelf with an upward and rearward extension to which one of said hoppers is secured, and an upper shelf to which the other of said hoppers is secured; a cantilever bar projecting downwardly and forwardly from said upper shelf, said upper track being secured to said bar; the lower track being attached at its upper end to said extension of the lower shelf; and a bottom bracket secured to at least one of said plates and to which the lower forward end of the lower track is secured.

8. In a snap fastener attaching unit adapted for side by side arrangement with other like units for simultaneously setting a plurality of snap fastener elements with 8 and desired spacing down to about 1- /2", the combination of (a) a pair of narrowly spaced vertical support plates; (b) upper and lower feed tracks, one for the snap fastener elements and the other for the attaching members;

(c) a pair of hoppers for feeding fastener elements and attaching members to said tracks;

(d) supporting means for said tracks and hoppers, said supporting means being secured to said plates;

(e) an escapernent device attached to each track;

(f) escapement operating means guided in said supporting means;

(g) upper and lower setting tools;

(h) operating means for both of said tools including a pair of levers operating in scissors-fashion and having a common pivotal mounting between said plates;

(i) a cam operating between said levers, said cam being mounted between said plates and having an operating arm to which is connected a downwardly extending link;

all of said means defined in clauses (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) and (i) being located substantially within the vertical confines of the outer side faces of said plates; and common power-driven means connected to all of said links for simultaneously operating all of said attaching units.

No references cited.

GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner, 

1. A SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE COMPRISING A FRAME, A PLURALITY OF COMPLETE SNAP FASTENER ATTACHING UNITS MOUNTED SIDE BY SIDE ON SAID FRAME AND ADJUSTABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, EACH UNIT COMPRISING (A) A PAIR OF SPACED VERTICAL SUPPORT PLATES; (B) UPPER AND LOWER FEED TRACKS, ONE FOR THE SNAP FASTENER ELEMENTS, THE OTHER FOR THE ATTACHING MEMBERS; (C) A PAIR OF HOPPERS FOR FEEDING FASTENER ELEMENTS AND ATTACHING MEMBERS TO SAID TRACKS; (D) SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID TRACKS AND HOPPERS, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS BEING SECURED TO SAID PLATES; (E) AN ESCAPEMENT DEVICE ATTACHED TO EACH TRACK; (F) ESCAPEMENT OPERATING MEANS GUIDED IN SAID SUPPORTING MEANS; (G) UPPER AND LOWER SETTING TOOLS; (H) OPERATING MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID TOOLS, INCLUDING A LEVER HAVING A PIVOTAL MOUNTING BETWEEN SAID PLATES; (I) MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID LEVERS INCLUDING A CAM BETWEEN SAID PLATES AND A DOWNARDLY EXTENDING LINK; ALL OF SAID MEANS DEFINED IN CLAUSES (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G) (H) AND (I) BEING LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN THE VERTICAL CONFINES OF THE OUTER SIDE FACES OF SAID PLATES; AND COMMON POWER DRIVEN MEANS CONNECTED TO ALL OF SAID LINKS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY OPERATING ALL OF SAID ATTACHING UNITS. 